Garment-stretcher.



No. 706,026, Patented Aug. 5, |902.

F. F.V cAwFnRn. G'ARMENT sTnETcHER.

(Application filed Apr. 30, 1902.) (N o M o d e I.)

Zhzmce S 72nd/fari,

UNITED STATES PATENT e OFFICE.

FRANCES F. CRAWFORD, OF DUNNVILLE, CANADA.

GARNI ENT-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 706,026, dated August 5, 1902.

Application filed April 30, 1902.

To all whom it 11mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCES F. CRAWFORD, a citizen of Canada, residing at Dunnville, in the county of Halimand and Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Garment Stretching and Drying Frames, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the stretching and drying frames which are employed for preventing fulling or shrinking of woolen and cotton shirts and similar undergarments after being washed.

The object of my invention is to produce a simple frame of this kind, which can be conveniently adjusted to difer'ent-sized garments and in which the arm members can be closely folded against the body of the frame to enable the latter to be compactly stored and shipped.

In thelaccompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of my improved stretching and drying frame, partly in section, showing the arm members unfolded to their normal position. Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective view of the frame. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the arm members.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several igures.

The body portion of the stretching and drying frame corresponds in its outlines to the general shape of the body of an undershirt or similar garment. It is composed of two main sections, each of which comprises a side bar A and two parallel horizontal bars Al A2, extending inwardly from the upper and lower ends of the side bar and forming with the la'tter an approximately U -shaped section. The horizontal bars A' A2 are rigidly secured to their corresponding side bar A, and the horizontal bars of the two main frame-sections overlap each other and are adj ustablysecured together by suitable clamping devices which when released permit the two main sections of the frame to be extended or contracted. In the construction shown in the drawings thumb-screws b are employed, each of which is carried by one of a pair of overlapping cross-'bars A A2 and passes through a longitudinal slot c, formed in the other bar of the same pair. In order to permit the frame to be extended and contracted lengthwise as Serial No. 105,262. (No model.)

well as laterally to fit diierent sized garments, each of the side bars A is preferably composed of two sections a a', made longitudinally adjustable on each other by a thumbscrew or bolt a2, passing through an opening in one of the overlapping sections and through a longitudinal slot 01,3 in the contiguous scction, as shown. The joints between the sections of the side bars are preferably arranged in a plane at right angles to the general plane of the stretching and drying frame, and the thumb-nutsofthebolts a2 are arranged at the inner edges of the side bars, where they are not liable to catch on the garment in applying and removing the same.

O indicates open arm shaped members, which are attached to the upper portion of the main frame and over which the arms of the garment are drawn. These arm members are preferably constructed of wire and each consists of yupper and lower rods or members c c and a cross-bar o2, connecting' their outer ends. The upper rods are pivotally connected to the outer edges of the side bars by 'engaging eyes d and d', arranged on these parts. The inner ends of the lower rods c are connected by eyes o3 or other means with the branches of a bifurcated suspension-cord E, which branches pass loosely through guideopenings f, formed in the side bars A parallel with the faces of said bars. The cord E is provided at its upper end with a hook, loop, or other attachment e for suspending the stretching and drying frame from a wash-lino or other support. The weight of the frame when thus suspended causes the inner ends of the lower arm-rods c to be drawn against the outer edges of the side bars A, thus holding the arm members in their proper position. By this construction the arm members can be swung upward into a vertical position for conveniently inserting them in the arms of a garment, as shown by the dotted lines l, or Vthey maybe folded downwardly and inwardly to t-he position shown by the dotted lines 2. In the latter position they extend but slightly beyond the outer edges of the frame, thus reducing the size of the device to a comparatively small compass for storing and shipping purposes. As the Asuspension-cord E passes loosely through the guide-openings f of thc side bars A it slides freely through tho same ICO vlo

and follows the arm members in swinging them from one position to another. The arm members are preferably made extensible to fit the arms of different-sized garments, and for this purpose the longitudinal or upper and lower rods of each member are composed of sliding sections, the inner section of each rod being provided at its outer end with an eye o4, which eneircles the outer section, and the latter being provided at its inner end with a similar eye e5, which in turn encircles the inner section. These connecting-eyes snugly-embrace the sections of the arm-rods, holding the same in position on each other by friction.

In the use of the frame the same is adjusted to the approximate length and width of the garment to be dried, and the arm members are shortened or lengtbened to snit the arms of the garment and turned up to the position indicated by the dotted lines l. The garment is then drawn down over the body ofthe frame and the arm members are inserted in the arms of the garment and lowered to their normal horizontal position by drawing up` the suspension-cord E. The garment is then stretched by loosening the thu mb-screws Z) and drawing the side bars A of the frame farther apart, after which these screws are again tightened and the frame is hung up until the garment is dried. After drying the garment the frame is contracted by loosening the thumb-screws Z), the arm members C are raised to an upright "roaozs position, and the garment is stripped from the frame. By drying the garment while in a stretched condition it does not full or shrink, but retains its original size and shape.

claim as my inventionl.l A drying-frame for undershirts and similar garments, consisting of a body portion oonforming approximately to the body of the garment, foldable arm members having upper and lower rods or bars, one of which is pivoted to said body portion, and a suspension-cord connected with the other rod of the arm member and arranged to hold the same in position against the body portion of the frame, substantially as set forth.

2. A drying-frame for undershirts and similar garments, consisting of abody portion conforming approximately to the bod y of the garment and having its side bars provided with guide-openings, foldable arm members each having an upper rod or bar pivoted at its inner end to said body portion and a lower rod or bar connected with said upper rod but detached from said body portion, and a suspension-oord connected with the lower detached rods of the arm members and passing through said gnideopenin gs,substantiall y asset forth. fitness my hand this 26th of April7 1902.

FRANCES F. CRAVFORD. Witnesses:

MELINA C. HYDE, FREDERTCVK HYDE. 

